Local positioning and response system

Abstract

Enables a local positioning and response system that allows devices in a defined area to determine their local positions in the area, and to generate individual responses based on their positions, for example based on broadcast messages. Responses can include light, sound, shock, vibration, temperature or any other physical signal. Positioning may use overlapping shaped beam signals that permit each device to determine its local position. Response to broadcast messages with local position dependency enables efficient communication with potentially thousands or millions of response units over limited bandwidth channels. Efficient communication may also be supported by messages containing high-level graphical primitives, with devices determining their individual contributions to an aggregate image. The system may also provide correction for image distortions. Applications include stadium light or sound shows, virtual fences, feedback on performance that requires specific motions or positions, and contests for event spectators.

Description

[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61 / 916,380, filed 16 Dec. 2013 and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61 / 910,843, filed 2 Dec. 2013, the specifications of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]One or more embodiments of the invention are related to the field of positioning systems, data processing systems and communication systems. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, one or more embodiments of the invention enable a local positioning and response system configured to transmit signals such as two or more shaped beams from at least one transmitter unit and devices that receive the shaped beams. The devices determine their local position in a defined area, such as a stadium or other venue that may not enable access to satellite based positioning signals. The devices determine their individual responses based on their local position...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The technical effects of this patent include a local positioning and response system that allows devices in a local area to determine their position using shaped beams and broadcast messages. The system can provide efficient and effective responses in a potentially large number of devices in a location. The response units can calculate their local position using the intensity of the shaped beam signals, which simplifies the calculation. The messages from the server to display graphical images may contain high-level graphics and may be efficient and secure. The system can also provide feedback to players or coaches and allow users to register at an event and obtain more offers or increased capabilities.

Problems solved by technology

While fairly successful in determining approximate location, these methods suffer from a number of limitations.

The received signals are so weak that even a tree canopy tends to attenuate the signals enough to preclude accurate positioning.

This technique is limited by the fortuitous placement of antenna towers, as well as by the sensitivity of the received signal strength to absorption along the signal path, reflections, and diffraction.

These effects render this technique of positioning inaccurate, limiting the accuracy in dynamic and unpredictable ways.

There are no known existing systems that provide accurate local positioning in a limited area with inexpensive devices.

In addition, many applications require that a potentially large number of devices in a limited area create a response that is observable in aggregate.

Technologies exist to provide communication between central systems and a network of devices; however these systems generally use point-to-point communication and require significant bandwidth as well as significant power and cost in the devices.

Further issues such as privacy and anonymous addressing of the devices make mobile phones and other handheld devices less desirable for this application.

The number of usable devices that may respond to system messages is growing dramatically, and current system architectures are not suited to handle this growth.

All these thousands of transceivers will occupy the same limited portion of the radio spectrum and thus the data rate available for communicating with any individual unit will become vanishingly small, in effect debilitating the wireless communicating capability of the devices.

Existing system architectures, which are based largely on point-to-point communication, cannot handle these requirements.

Moreover the systems that provide location-awareness, such as GPS, require expensive transmitters and receivers and are ill-suited for widespread application and low-cost, low-power devices.

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